Work output and efficiency of a reversible quantum otto cycle

Abstract

An idealized reversible Otto cycle working with a single quantum mechanical particle contained in a potential well is investigated based on the Schrödinger equation in this paper. The model of a reversible quantum Otto cycle, which consists of two reversible adiabatic and two constant-well widen branches, is established. As an example, we calculate a particularly simple case in which only two of the eigenstates of the potential well contribute to the wave-function in the well. The relationship between the optimal dimensionless work output W* vs. the efficiency h for the two-eigenstate system is derived. The efficiency of this quantum cycle is shown to equal that of a classical reversible Otto cycle because quantum dynamics is reversible.